Ernesto Valverde - V1

MagIX

MagIX

Senior Member
We're on the pitch with a logic, each player knows what to do. We are pressing in a intelligent way (not as under Lucho and leaving huge spaces) : by pressing we anticipate the movements of 2 or 3 players
We know reading the opponent game so that pressing make sense.
Defensively we are a wall.
Playing with 4 midfielders is decisive: we made a huge step forward, the team is much more balanced
In many tactical aspects, we have improved a lot. Impressive. Tactically we do not look anymore like enthusiastic amateurs.
without Neymar we have become a solid and compact team. And even without new reinforcements.
The best purchase is undoubtedly Valverde: with almost the same players as last year, we are beating records...
 
S

Stoichkov1

New member
Nothanks said:
messi playing centrally has made it easier for our team to be more balanced in a defensive transition.
we're conceding very little goals, but also scoring less than recent seasons..
I'm personally really happy with how things are going, and the positive is that we haven't really had our strongest starting 11 to really see the teams potential.
Click to expand...

not true, we scored 57 goals in 20 matches, or 2.85 goals per game, which means that if we keep up like this we'll score 108 goals at the end of the season.
 
FinBarcelonafan

FinBarcelonafan

Well-known member
xXKonan said:
Valverde has gave us that feeling that even without Iniesta on the field we don't suffer as much and we remain in total control.

The last couple of seasons under Lucho we had suffered quite a bit at times without Iniesta in the Midfield. But valverde is doing a good job establishing a good system that we don't necessarily need Iniesta to control games when he's being rested or injured.

Which is good news since Iniesta is in his twilight portion of his career and we can't always rely so much on him.
Click to expand...

Great post and Valverde has shown us how much football is about team work. Last year's team wasn't team. There was no team work and that's why our midfield was so poor. No structure what so ever. That's why we got destroyed by all big teams away. We trusted too much yo our invidual skills, but that's not enough.

This season we are OK without Iniesta. This season? Not that big difference.
 
jairzinho

jairzinho

Senior Member
Had some concerns about him especially with rotations and his fascination with Gomes.

However, i have to admit the guy has impressed me especially with the way the team is organized.

I've never seen us this defensively sound and compact before, not even under Lucho.

The 4-4-2 has really given alot of balance and stability to the team.

Can't wait to see us against Chelsea.
 
FC433

FC433

New member
I never thought we are going to play like Bilbao "very high pressure"

Yesterday the pressure was absolutely amazing. Loved it.
 
serghei

serghei

Senior Member
BerkeleyBernie said:
I haven't been following tactics this season enough to make an analysis, but a few things stood out today. Particular to this game and Betis' high press? Or a trend?

1) Busquets is playing *extremely* high up the pitch. In the past, he almost always sat back between the two centerbacks when Barça had the ball.
2) Messi is essentially playing as an attacking midfielder. No more walking fencepost up next to the opposition centerbacks.

What do you think is guiding Valverde's approach? Or was this more a one-off?
Click to expand...

It's hard to read Valverde, because imo he doesn't have a very clear style. His strenghts are seriousness and hard work, versatility and a sense of rigor that he brought in the team to the point that we're almost playing like a Bayern Munchen, except with more technical players. More like a well oiled machinery with some superb individual pieces that elevate it to a higher level.

But the thing with Valverde is that he takes his time in all he does, seems even a bit of a detail freak. He knows how to punish teams that sit back to the point that they almost don't have any chances to score, because we ourselves take some precautionary measures so that it is pretty hard to surprise us without overcommitting.

Also, there seems to be less risks taken when under heavy press, and more precision when going longer from those positions. Improved fitness levels from the players make us pretty good also at claiming 2nd balls. Paulinho is an expert on 2nd balls, pops out of nowhere on those bits of hazardous situations. We're more skilled and smarter in using the space available behind the opponent's first wave of pressing.

From what I've seen so far, we hold on very well when the opponents press us hard. We have the rigor and the robustness to defend well and sit under pressure without panicking, so even when we are unable to create many chances (Madrid 1st half for example) and struggle in build up, we're still not giving away many chances, because players know very well what to do and how to set up.
 
Last edited:
Nothanks

Nothanks

New member
Stoichkov1 said:
not true, we scored 57 goals in 20 matches, or 2.85 goals per game, which means that if we keep up like this we'll score 108 goals at the end of the season.
Click to expand...
It feels like we get chances less than recent seasons, we have a more controlled and setup style rather than lucho's direct
I like this cautious aproach from valverde personally and it seems to be working.

we'll have to see the numbers at the end of the season.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Home of Barca Fans

Top